GSE stock purchase

The GSE stock purchase. The Treasury Department is loaning hundreds of billions to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac through purchases of preferred stock in order to maintain their liquidity in the face of mounting losses in the housing market. The program was initially capped at $100 billion each for Fannie and Freddie in September 2008, but that was increased to $200 billion each in February 2009 and the cap was lifted entirely on December 24, 2009.

Funding agency and aid type
The funding agency was the Treasury Department.

Cash loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Who benefits
Investors in real estate and mortgage-backed securities; mortgage borrowers (keeping Fannie and Freddie afloat is a prop to the entire housing industry).

Background
SIGTARP (July 2009): "“GSE Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (“PSPA”) — Total Potential Support: $400 Billion. HERA provided temporary authority for Treasury to purchase obligations of the housing GSEs. In September 2008 FHFA, established under HERA to oversee the housing GSEs, put Fannie Mae under Federal conservatorship, and Treasury entered into a Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement (“PSPA”) with Fannie Mae to make investments of up to $100 billion in senior preferred stock as required to maintain positive equity. According to the White House’s FY 2010 budget document, “On February 18, 2009, Treasury announced that the funding commitments for the PSPA would be increased to $200 billion. As of April 16, 2009, Fannie Mae has received $15.2 billion under the PSPA.” Similarly, in September 2008, FHFA put Freddie Mac under Federal conservatorship and Treasury entered into a PSPA with Freddie Mac to make investments of up to $100 billion in senior preferred stock as required to maintain positive equity. On February 18, 2009, Treasury announced that the funding commitments for the Freddie Mac PSPA would be increased to $200 billion, the same as Fannie Mae’s commitment. As of April 16, 2009, Freddie Mac has received $44.6 billion under the PSPA. According to Treasury’s FY 2010 budget, “the function of the PSPAs is to instill confidence in investors that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will remain viable entities critical to the functioning of the housing and mortgage markets.”"

Prins’ analysis: “The Treasury has bought $200 million in preferred stock from Fannie Mae and another $200 million from Freddie Mac to show that they "will remain viable entities critical to the functioning of the housing and mortgage markets.”

Related SourceWatch articles

 * SIGTARP Quarterly Report to Congress July 21, 2009
 * Troubled Asset Relief Program

External resources

 * FHFA home page on GSEs